The present invention relates to a method for changing the brake disk of a disk brake, especially for trucks and commercial vehicles, having brake disks comprised of a friction ring and a brake disk hub. The brake disk is fastened by the brake disk hub to a wheel hub that is rotatably supported on a steering knuckle. The wheel hub comprises a wheel flange for detachably connecting a wheel thereto. The brake disk cooperates in the area of its friction rings with two brake pads which are arranged together with their brake pad supports in a receiving chamber of a brake saddle support. The brake saddle support is connected to a fastening flange of the axial body and supports the actuating device of the disk brake. The invention also relates to a brake disk to be used in connection with the inventive method.
In known disk brakes, the brake disk hub of the brake disk has an extension in the direction toward the wheel flange of the wheel hub and is embodied with a radially projecting fastening flange by which the brake disk is detachably connected with wheel bolts or with separate fastening bolts to the wheel flange of the wheel hub. This has the disadvantage that for changing the brake pads, the wheel or, in the case of twin wheels, both wheels must be demounted in order to allow access to the brake pads. In addition to these complicated steps for changing the brake pads, the known construction also has the disadvantage that the cup-shaped embodiment of the brake disk hub with connected fastening flange results in a great material accumulation at one side of the brake disk which, upon heating of the brake disk during braking, causes a one-sided thermal umbrella-shaped deformation of the brake disk.
Since not only the brake pads but also the brake disks are subject to wear, the brake disks must also be replaced at certain intervals. For such a brake disk change, after removal of the brake pads in the aforementioned manner, the wheel bolts respectively, the fastening bolts must also be removed and all screws which secure the brake saddle support at the fastening flange of the axial body must be loosened so that the brake saddle support with the entire brake can be removed or can be pivoted about a loosened screw. While the wheel bolts or fastening bolts can be relatively easily removed, it is difficult to remove or loosen the screws that attach the brake saddle support at the fastening flange of the axial body because due to the constant exposure to heat they are usually frozen. For brake disk temperatures of up to 900.degree. C., the fastening screws are subjected to temperatures of up to 500.degree. C.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to facilitate changing of the brake pads and to allow for replacement of the brake disk without having to remove the brake saddle support.